2 Dec 2015

Transfer Bombshell: 'Spectacular' £18m Liverpool star to quit Anfield in January because he's 'worried' about game time?

The Mamadou Sakho-Roma rumours simply refuse to die, and with the transfer window opening in less than a month, new reports suggest that the Serie A giants are determined to seal the deal.

In September, France boss Didier Deschamps publicly advised Sakho to quit Anfield, and according to Tuesday's edition of Corriere dello Sport:

* Roma will try and sign Sakho on loan (with an option to buy) during the January transfer window.

* Sakho is worried about his place in the national team, and wants to 'play regularly'.

Right now, a transfer seems inconceivable. Liverpool recently extended Sakho's contract, and under Jurgen Klopp - who recently hailed labelled him 'spectacular' - Sakho is (when fit) everpresent in the team.

That said, a transfer is not beyond the realm of possibility:

* Contracts are not worth the paper they're printed on these days, and oftentimes, signing a new deal is simply a ploy to maximise a player's sell-on value.

* Sakho's injury has come at the worse possible time, and if Dejan Lovren continues his impressive form, how is he going to get back into the team?

* With Euro 2016 on the horizon, Sakho can't afford to wait around for Lovren to lose form and/or get injured, and that may force his hand.

This is what happens when you have three international centre-backs in a non-Champions League squad. It's a problem, and it's impossible to keep all three happy. At some point, one of the three will want to leave, especially in a European Championship/World Cup year.

Sakho is one of Liverpool's most effective players this season, but the brutal reality is that he's increasingly injury prone:

* FIVE separate injuries since signing in Sep 2013 (219 days on the sidelines/44 games missed so far).

* Currently out with a knee injury, and will probably miss the next 8-10 games.

A settled defensive-duo is vital for solidity, and it's impossible to build a sold defence around a regularly injured centre-back.

Sakho may see the writing on the wall. Liverpool are continuously linked with Dortmund duo Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, and Klopp will inevitably sign a central defender at some point.

Is Sakho willing to gamble his international future on Lovren getting injured and/or Klopp failing to bring in another central defender?

Author: Jaimie K


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